1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter bag cage, in particular, a filter bag cage which is modular and may be assembled at the point of use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Filter bags made from textile filter media are used in a variety of industries to remove particulate from gas streams. In many applications, the filter bags are supported by a wire cage or similar support mechanism. This wire cage serves to keep the filter bag open during the filter cycle which is normally under negative differential pressure. Such wire cages may be as long as twenty-seven feet, and even longer for some applications. The wire cages are manufactured using longitudinal steel wires with intermittent circumferential wires and top and bottom caps. The steel wires and other components are welded together using specialized machinery and shipped as fabricated units.
It is inherent that the assembled filter bag cage will have a large volume, but will be constructed from a relatively small amount of material with respect to the total volume of the filter bag cage. Typically, the filter bag cage is constructed of metal wire which has been welded together at the manufacturing site. This results in an unwieldy configuration which is difficult to ship from the manufacturing site to the point of use and has a high potential for damage during transit.
Similarly, such filter bag cages are frequently placed in storage. Due to the size of the filter bag cages, often a choice has to be made between expensive indoor storage or less expensive outdoor storage which exposes the filter bag cages to the elements and to damage.